Various industrial products, such as belts for power transmission, hoses and tires, incorporate a reinforcement material in an elastomeric matrix, to achieve both strength and flexibility. For example, the reinforcing materials may be a textile fabric, a metal sheet, fibers or cords made up of organic polymers, inorganic polymers, metals and combinations thereof. Manufacture of the composite product typically requires that the spatial relationship of the reinforcement material and the elastomeric matrix be consistent throughout.
In some circumstances, it may be advantageous to provide multiple layers of reinforcement material, wherein the layers are uniformly spaced apart, with the space between the reinforcement layers filled with a suitable matrix material, such as an elastomer. The present invention is directed to a novel method of maintaining the spatial relationship of multiple reinforcement bands during the manufacturing process, in particular, maintaining two annular bands in spaced-apart, concentric relationship.